Wednesday, October 16, 2013

THE WOUNDED RANGER’S SALUTE DURING A PURPLE HEART CEREMONY

Wounded, bandaged and hooked up to tubes in an Afghanistan intensive care unit, a U.S. Army Ranger, thought by hospital staff to be unconscious, heard his commander’s voice and addressed him with the iconic symbol of respect: a salute.

U.S. Army Ranger Josh Hargis, wounded at a base in Afghanistan, raises his hand in salute during his Purple Heart ceremony. He was thought to be unconscious and raised his arm despite a doctor initially trying to restrain him. (Image source: Taylor Hargis/Facebook)

Josh Hargis, a Purple Heart recipient with the 3rd Ranger Battalion, was injured after 13 improvised explosive devices went off while he was conducting a mission in Afghanistan to capture a high value target, according to the website Guardian of Valor. Several members of the unit were killed by a woman wearing a suicide vest and others injured by the IEDs that went off afterward.

Hargis’ commander sent his wife, Taylor, a letter explaining what her husband endured along with a photo, which the Guardian of Valor is calling the “salute seen around the world.”